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Windows OS

Microsoft's Operating System:

Windows 7

Improved for Windows 7 and available in the Ultimate and Enterprise editions, BitLocker helps keep everything from documents to passwords safer by encrypting the entire drive that Windows and your data reside on. Once BitLocker is turned on, any file you save on that drive is encrypted automatically.

In Windows 7, Parental Controls helps you limit how much computer time children have, as well as which programs and games they can use (and perhaps more importantly, when). With the Parental Controls in Windows Media Center, you can also block access to objectionable TV shows and movies.

To help keep your children safer online, download Windows Live Family Safety. This free program helps you manage which websites your children see and who they can talk to online. It also provides helpful, easy-to-read reports of their online activity.

Windows Firewall can help protect your PC from hackers and malicious software.For example, now you can fine-tune the protection and notifications you want for each of your network profiles—Home, Work, and Public. When you are connected to a public network like a library or a coffee shop, you may want to block all incoming connections. At home or work, this might be overkill. Whatever level of protection you choose for your profiles, you will be able to switch between them with ease.

Windows Defender is your first line of defense against spyware and other unwanted software. And in Windows 7, it's easier to use, with simpler notifications, more scanning options, and less impact on your computer's performance. A new feature called "Clean System" provides one-click purging of all suspicious software, and Windows Defender is now part of Action Center, the streamlined place for keeping your PC running smoothly.

Windows 7 includes a new version of DirectX, the software behind the eye-popping 3-D visuals and immersive sound effects found in many of today's PC games. DirectX 11 includes numerous improvements. It's designed to be more efficient, leverage the power of today's multi-core processors, and provide support for sophisticated shading and texturing techniques such as tessellation. The result: smoother 3-D animation, and graphics more lifelike and nuanced than ever before.

With Windows 7 and Windows Live Movie Maker, it's easier than ever to create and share your own movies. It's part of Windows Live Essentials, a free download that also includes tools for photos, instant messaging, email, social networking, and more.

Watch, pause, and record HDTV. Watch DVDs. Listen to your tunes, show off your photos, and enjoy online shows. All in one place. That place is Windows Media Center—a whole PC entertainment system within Windows 7. Is it any wonder critics call it the hidden gem of Windows? Windows Media Center is available in the Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions of Windows 7.

Just plug in a USB flash drive or card and let ReadyBoost borrow it. ReadyBoost is designed to help when your PC's memory is running low. Low memory can make your computer sluggish because Windows, which needs a place to stash data, turns to the hard drive. Flash memory offers a speedier alternative. ReadyBoost works with most flash storage devices. In Windows 7, it can handle more flash memory and even multiple devices—up to eight, for a maximum 256 gigabytes (GB) of additional memory.